Conservatives deal with facts and reach conclusions; liberals have conclusions and sell them as facts.

In honor of the Marines

As the Marines make ready to follow their Commander in Chief’s orders and include woman in combat infantry positions,* perhaps now is the time to stop and consider what we like about Marines who haven’t been turned into jello by a politically correct class, the honest members of which make no bones about their hatred for all things military. I received the following pro-Marine message from a friend:

Marines:

I like the fact that if you are a self-declared enemy of America, running into a Marine outfit in combat is your worst nightmare; and, that your health record is either about to get a lot thicker, or be closed out entirely.

I like the fact that Marines are steadfast and consistent in everything they do, regardless of whether you agree with them or not.

I like the fact that Marines view the term ‘politically correct’ with nothing but disdain.

I like the fact that Marines stand tall and rigid in their actions, thoughts, and deeds when others bend with the direction of the wind and are as confused as a dog looking at a ceiling fan.

I like the fact that each and every Marine considers the honor and legacy of the Corps as his personal and sacred trust to protect and defend.

I like the fact that most civilians don’t have a clue what makes them tick. And that’s not a bad thing. Because if they did, it would probably scare the Hell out of them.

I like the fact that others say they want to be like them, but don’t have what it takes in the Pain-Gain-Pride department to make it happen.

I like their motto… SEMPER FIDELIS, And the fact that they don’t shed it when the going gets tough, the battlefield gets deadly or when they hang up their uniform for the last time.

I like the fact that Marines take care of each other in combat and in times of peace.

I like the fact that the people of America hold Marines in the highest esteem and that they know that they can count on them to locate, close with, and destroy those who would harm them.

I like the fact that people think they’re cocky; yet they know that they have confidence in everything they do and the fact that they don’t know the taste of that makes them look at them as if they are arrogant.

I like the fact that Ronald Reagan said… ‘Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference… Marines don’t have that problem!’

I like the fact that a member of congress felt compelled to publicly accuse the Marine Corps of being ‘radical and extreme'; and I like the fact that the Commandant informed that member of congress that she was absolutely correct, and then he passed on his thanks for the great compliment.

I like the fact that Marine leaders – of every rank – know that issuing every man and woman a black beret – or polka-dotted boxer shorts for that matter – does absolutely nothing to promote morale, fighting spirit or combat effectiveness.

I like the fact that Marines are Marines first, regardless of age, race, creed, color, sex, and national origin, or how long they served, their former rank, or what goals they achieve in life.

I like Marines and I love the fact that I am both humbled and privileged to walk among the ranks of Marines.
In closing…if you aren’t a Marine, the next best thing is to have a Marine for a husband, wife, father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter, best friend, or friend.

*Let me just reiterate what I often say. Being a woman myself, I have the highest respect for women and for their abilities. Some of the tough ones can beat the living daylights out of men. But women are not men and I think it’s a singularly bad idea to throw them into combat situations together — bad for the women, bad for the men (I can just hear the sexual harassment and rape claims now), and bad for unit morale.

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Just because they open the training for it doesn’t equate with automatic inclusion. The (few) women who try will have to fully qualify along right alongside their male brethren. If the relative few statistics are any representation, I would venture that it will be quite some years (decades?) before full integration is achieved — if ever.

Oldflyer

DL Sly, I hope you are correct. On the other hand senior officers have already said that maybe the training for elite combat units may be more difficult than it needs to be.
Once the political class have decided that some innovation will take place, invariably accomadations necessary to insure the result will occur.

DL Sly

Oldflyer, you seem to be underestimating the stubborness of Marines.
0>;~}

Ron19

“Ex Bootneck” is a retired Royal Marine who is a frequent guest poster and commenter at NavyOne’s website, http://themellowjihadi.com/ a.k.a. Blogging from the brig. He fits your description of a Marine almost perfectly (after all, he’s from the other Marines, across the pond).

Getting both NavyOne and Ex Bootneck and their friends at one site is as good as getting Bookworm and her friends at one site.

http://ymarsakar.wordpress.com Ymarsakar

The real issue is whether Democrats have enough pressure on the Marine commadants and trainers to make them lower standards due to fear, reward, blackmail, or merely “because it’s popular” meme.

Churches, Air Force, navy, Army both have their own reasons to make themselves more “inclusive”. That can often lead to lowered training and conditioning, which means more people are brainwashed and promoted, which means lower standards in the future, lower than the lower standards now even.

Oldflyer

DL Sly. I don’t think so. At one time, I had a number of Marines working for me; and I, in turn, have worked for Marines at various times. Naval and Marine aviation are sometimes in bed together to use a tortured analogy. I am well aware of how stubborn Marines can be.

On the other hand, they do follow orders.
Up until now they have allowed women to participate in infantry Officer’s training, at I forget what level, maybe Basic School. True, to date none have passed. But, given the precedent with officers, and now the move to allow enlisted women into similar training, we see resistance starting to crumble. In due time, the pressure will become very intense to have women pass these courses. Lest we forget, much of Marine funding and program management flows through Navy channels. At the civilian Navy Department level, they hold the Marine purse strings. When you hold the purse strings the hearts and minds will follow, to corrupt an old saying. We have already seen how the uniformed Navy Brass have succumbed to political correctness.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out. It is not a forgone conclusion, in my opinion, that the USMC will be able to win the fight that lies ahead.

Charles Martel

For now we can afford to play sandbox leftist feminist games with our troops. Despite Nancy Boy of the United States’ stealth castration of the U.S. military, there’s really no armed force on earth at present that can beat us in the field.

But that could change in a few years. We might face an existential military threat from China or the Muslims, one that forces us to put large numbers of boots on the ground. Once the failure of women to engage successfully in combat as members of elite units has been shown—and it won’t take long—I think most commanders at the front will choose protecting troops’ lives over political correctness. They’ll send women to the rear where they belong and leave the fighting to the people best qualified to do it: the men.

Of course those commanders will be court martialed, and the press will be in high dudgeon. But the core of the military will have seen for itself the stupidity of pretending that women belong in combat or can successfully undertake it. If the time comes when the military must choose sides in a civil war, I pity the federal units that have women combat soldiers in their ranks. It’ll be tough to prevail with troops who simply aren’t strong enough to endure the level of hardship and strain that armed conflict presents.

http://ymarsakar.wordpress.com Ymarsakar

One of the admitted reasons of one woman Army/Navy officer for supporting Democrats was that they would give her combat time, thus allow her to be promoted faster or to certain lines of career that wouldn’t admit people without combat time.

What will people like her do then, when they become Majors, Colonels, and Generals when the Left calls them at 3 am to speak on “private matters”?

http://OgBlog.net Earl

BW: If your friend’s comments actually applied to the top Marine brass, they would have resigned rather than succumb to the political pressure to include females in combat roles.

Now that they’ve folded once, it’s going to be a lot easier to do the same when the (inevitable) pressure is applied to ease up on the requirements so that females actually get through training. Those who doubt this have only to look at other branches of the service, or at what Title IX has done to college athletics.

The object is NOT a “level playing field”, it’s equal outcomes…and whatever is required, that’s where they’re headed. That lots of those they are “helping” will end up dead or maimed makes not the slightest difference to those on the left — and you can look to the “African-America community” after 50 years of anti-poverty and other special programs for the proof.

This is not going to end well — the Marines should have stood up on their hind legs right from the start.

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